Playing mechanism for stringed instruments.



PATENTED APR. 2, 190"].

INVENTQRY Q. 7 MW L. A. KAMPELMAN. PLAYING MECHANISM FOR STRINGBDNINSTRUMENTS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR- 9. 1906.

ATTEsT.

a transverse bar 77.

UNITED s'rATns arnsr orinon.

LOUIS A. KAMPELMAN, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

PLAYING MECHANISM FOR STRINGED INSTRUMENTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 2, 1907.

Application filed March 9,1906. Serial No. 305,094.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LOUIS A. KAMPEL- MAN, of the city of St. Louis and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and usei ful Improvements in Playing Mechanism for Stringed Instruments, of which the following i is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to a playing mech'anism for stringed instruments; and the object i of my invention is to provide amechanically i operated mechanism for striking and sound- 1 ing the strings of musical instruments, such as zithers, harps, and pianos.

l attain the. object above stated by certain mechanism which will be hereinafter more fully described, and pointed out in the claims and illustrated in. the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a vertical section taken showing one of the electrically operated sical instrument. Rig. 2 is a vertical section taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. detailed section showing the connection between the hammer and the armature carrying the same' Referring by nun'ierals to the accompanying drawings, 69 designates the base of a stringed musical instrument, and 70 the strings thereon.

71 designates a transversely-extending bar at the end of the musical instrument, and fixed thereto immediately over each string is a pair of magnet-coils 72, which are connected in the usual manner, and a suitable conductor 73 leads from the upper one of each coil to a suitable source of electrical supply. The lower one of each of the pairs of coils is connected by a suitable conductor 7 4 to a transverse metallic rod 75, carried by the bar 7] immediately below the roll of magnet-coils 72. The cores 76 of the magnetcoils extend forwardly and are connected by Pivotally connected to the center of each bar 77 is an armature 7 8, and secured to each armature adjacent its pivot-point 1s a retractile coil-spring 79, the rear end of whiciiis secured to the bar 71. Seated in each armature 78 is a forwardlyprojecting rod 79, in the outer end of which is pivotally mounted a rod 80, the forward end of which carries a small hammer-head 81.

.{ ing the hammers in an elevated position after they have struck the wires.

The rod is suitably connected by a conductor to the source of electrical supply to .which the conductor 73 is connected.

The operation of my improved playing 5 mechanism is as follows: When one of the magnets comprising the two coils 72 is ener- Z gized by a current passing through the conductor 7 3, the armature 78 of said magnet 1s drawn into a vertical position, with its ends between the ends of the magnet-cores 76, and

I this motion brings the arm 79 carried by through one end of a stringed instrument and F said armiitturc, and the rod 80, carried by said arm, downwardly, and this sudden Inc-- hammers which strikes the wires of the mu- 1 tion of the armature causes the rod 80 to Fig. 3 is a resistance offered. by the leaf-spring 82, and as a result the han'nner 8] strikes uponthe string70, sounding same, and then the ham- I mer, comprising the rod 80 and head 81,1s 111- f stantly elevated or rebounds a short distance and is so held by the tension of the leafj spring 82. When, the current through the conductor 73 is broken, the coil-spring 79 will'aet to swing the armature 78 and parts carried thereby back to their normal positions. By providing two 1nagnet-coils the magnetic force is-equally balanced, and when the circuit is interrupted the armature will at once return to its original position without noise. The rod 80, carrying the hammerhead 81, being pivotally connected, to the arm 79 and being normally held by the spring 82 forms means for imparting a quick blow on the instrument-strings, andthe hammer is instantly elevated, so as to allow the strings toyibrate properly.

The entire apparatus is simple and inexpensive and may be applied to various forms of stringed instruments.

I claim 1. In a playing mechanism for stringed instruments, a pivotallv-mounted member arranged to swing vertically, means whereby said member is caused to swing-u onits pivotpoint, an arm projecting from t e hont side "of said member, a second arm pivotally connected to the outer end of the first-mentioned arm, a hammer-head carried by the end of the second-mentioned arm and a spring secured to the first arm and bearing upon the top of the rear end of the second'erm, substantially es specified. I 2.,J rmusice1 instrument comprising horizontal strings; a series of magnetcoils .ositioned above the strings, the cores of Ell ch magnets are extended, an armature pivotally mounted between the extended cores; an arm projecting from the tront side of seid ermeture,e second arm pivotclly connected to the'first-mentioned arm and a spring normrtliy engaging the rear. end of the second. see for maintaining it in enelevated position, substantially as specified. 3. Amusienl instrument comprising horizontel strings, e series of magnet-coils positioned above the strings, the cores of which magnets are extended, a spring-held armature pivotelly mounted between the extended ends of each pair of cores, an arm carried by the lower end of each armature, a second arm pivotelly connected to the first arm, a hammer carried by the second arm, and a spring engaging on the rear end of the second I arm for normally holding it elevated, substantially as specified. y

In testimony whereof l'heve hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

LOUIS A; KAMPELMAN. Witnesses:

- CLAUDE W. HOEBER,

H. G. FLETCHER. 

